William Gibson's Neuromancer: The Graphic Novel

Marvel Graphic Novel #52

by William Gibson, Tom De Haven, Bruce Alan Jensen

In the 21st Century, Case, the best interface cowboy ever to run in the world-wide computer net, and Molly, the female mercenary with computer eyes and switchblade fingers, are recruited for a secret mission that will bring them into conflict with the world's most powerful corporate clan; a conflict that will be fought in the shifting territory where mind meets circuitry: Cyberspace!

Genres: Science Fiction, Comics, Cyberpunk, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Bande Dessinée, Literature

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

William Ford Gibson is an American-Canadian writer who has been called the father of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, having coined the term cyberspace in 1982 and popularized it in his first novel, Neuromancer (1984), which has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide.

While his early writing took the form of short stories, Gibson has since written nine critically acclaimed novels (one in collaboration), contributed articles to several major publications, and has collaborated extensively with performance artists, filmmakers and musicians. His thought has been cited as an influence on science fiction authors, academia, cyberculture, and technology.


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William Gibson. (2007, October 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:30, October 19, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...

Reviews

[Ahren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In terms of adapting the complex story of Neuromancer to a visual medium, this graphic novel is pretty amazing. There are a number of scenes where the vibe and pacing is spot on and William Gibson has praised it too, saying that if Neuromancer were ever adapted into a movie he'd want it to follow this comic as a blueprint. In fact, he writes the forward and offers an interesting glimpse into his view on comic books and the few adaptations that had already been made of his work (as of 1989).

In terms of being a compelling graphic novel, however Neuromancer's art style really holds it back due to it's rampant inconsistency. Characters are off-model from frame to frame and not a single design for Molly look right. Most panels have her portrayed as some kind of garish, mullet-sporting, man/woman. In the novel, I always had a femme fatale vibe from her. Sleek, sexy and very deadly. However, combining 80's fashion with the visual asthetic creates some pretty interesting costume and hair-style choices, I guess. Other than that, the artwork is pretty spot-on, in terms of settings, backdrops, and so on. It's just a shame that the only character that doesn't make you cringe when you see him is Case, and that's only because he's as bland as can be; short black hair, black t-shirt, black jeans.

In the end, for any fan of the novel this is a must read and it's rare nature makes it an exciting acquisition. Unfortunately, this graphic novel was originally envisioned as a 3-part series and only this first volume was ever published. So enjoy it, but don't get too attached because it will end before you are ready.

[Dang Ole' Dan Can Dangle · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's some nice artwork here. That is, the backgrounds and environments look very nice; the neon city looks great and the coloring is fantastic--it's very 80s and Blade Runner-esque, but then so was the novel. The depictions of cyberspace are a particular highlight. When it comes to drawing people however, specifically and especially faces, the artist fails. Not only do the characters not resemble their novel counterparts sufficiently, the faces just look plain awkward to boot. Bad even. It kind of kills the spirit and undermines the inherent "coolness" of Neuromancer.

It's also worth noting that this only adapts the first third of the novel. Two more volumes were planned but never came to fruition (though parts of the second volume ended up making into The Ultimate Cyberpunk anthology and the characters there, this time done by a different artist, look significantly better).

William Gibson said, in the introduction to this, that this visual interpretation was largely how he had imagined Neuromancer whilst writing it, also adding that if a movie adaptation were to be made of his novel that he'd hope the filmmakers would take some inspiration from this graphic novel. Let's just hope that the filmmakers don't take this inspiration too literally and cast Arnold Schwarzenegger in a wig as Molly. Because that's what she fucking looked like in here (and boy did that make the sexual scenes uncomfortable).

It's not a bad adaptation but it's pretty straight-forward and uninteresting, and its incompleteness and hit-or-miss artwork doesn't help matters.

2.5 / 5

[Cuchi Aslogh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Que alegría terminar el libro y decir "no he entendido una puta mierda pero ya lo he acabado"
Busca un ritmo frenetico que es más confuso que otra cosa. Dejas de enterarte de quien es quien. Te pierdes en las conversaciones de quien habla con quien, y de qué hablan. Deja de tener sentido el libro más o menos a la mitad. Porque la verdad que los primeros capítulos están bien chulos, luego va todo cuesta abajo y sin frenos.
Eso sí, hay un personaje que es súper divertido y solo quieres que salga él, nadie más. Es que no se ni que trata la historia y me lo acabo de terminar. Que angustia de libro, en serio.

[Vindria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es de las novelas que más veces he leído. Y casi siempre la vuelvo a leer cuando me siento triste y sin sentido. Hay algo en la atmósfera cyberpunk que me calma y me atrae.

Siempre disfruto esta novela de vaqueros espaciales. Aunque no son vaqueros ni ocurre en el espacio. Que maravilla. Lugares que pese a su tiempo futurista se siente viejo y cansado, desolado pero con el brillo neón que armoniza los parajes. Forasteros, pistoleros y buscadores informáticos. No caduca esta novela pero siempre se ha sentido vieja, empolvada, aún así siempre me emociona el final, la lucha del yo, los amores eternos, las amistades nunca dichas, los gobiernos corruptos, las empresas malvadas (como si hubiera de otro tipo)y el poder cybermental. Me encanta el cyberpunk y esta novela siempre me da paz, y de ello, poco trata.

[Ishraq · Rating 3 out of 5]

no wonder there's no movie adaptation for Neuromancer
its difficult asf to translate william gibson's writing style into a visual story but still have hopes, one day a visionary film director like kubrick might come and do it just right to the point it grasps the soul from the source material and doesn't ignore the more grittier aspects of it all the while not ending up being a cliched sci fi low tier cash grabbing matrix clone movie

[Ian Alquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es impresionante ver cómo este libro sentó todas las bases de lo que hoy tenemos en el género del cyberpunk. Ese es su mayor punto fuerte.

En cuanto a la historia y su exposición... Pues mira, tiene sus luces y sus sombras.

Aún así, se trata de una lectura muy recomendable.

[Juan Hidalgo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entretenido pero algo confuso

[Lluis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acabo de terminar Neuromante de William Gibson, y debo decir que ha sido una experiencia impresionante y desafiante a la vez. Este libro, aunque complejo de entender, me ha capturado completamente.

La narrativa de Gibson es densa y rica en detalles, lo que hace que cada página esté llena de imágenes vívidas que estimulan más que cualquier película. La historia, con sus saltos en el tiempo y su multitud de personajes, requiere una atención plena para ser realmente apreciada. De hecho, tuve que posponer mi lectura en dos ocasiones debido a la profundidad del contenido, y no ha sido hasta que tuve un día entero para sumergirme al 100% en la trama que logré terminarlo.

A pesar de que le otorgo 5 de 5 estrellas al libro, no recomiendo la lectura de este libro a quienes no tengan un interés genuino por la ciencia ficción, y en explorar los límites del intelecto dentro de la obra, llegando a rozar sus límites filosóficos y casi divinos.

Neuromante es un libro pesado, que exige concentración absoluta, pero la recompensa es inmensa. La riqueza del lenguaje y la construcción del mundo que presenta Gibson te sumergen en una experiencia única. Es un viaje fascinante que solo puede ser plenamente disfrutado con la mente abierta y dispuesta a trabajar.

Recomiendo este libro a cualquiera que esté dispuesto a aceptar el reto. Es una obra maestra de la ciencia ficción que merece ser leída con detenimiento.

[mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is really muddy at times, but the tone is consistent and I can see why Gibson liked this visualization of his best story. The story telling, however, is noticeably stilted. While the "Marvel method" may work well for fresh ideas and stories, for existing, established works, it is less than ideal, and is really, really bad with first-person narratives. I don't know why they gave-up on this series (the graphic novel doesn't even cover half the book), but I agree that they needed to stop. I still gave it 5 stars; one because it's Gibson, two because it's not terrible, and three, there's a bit to be learned here.

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are not a technology person this book may be a tough read. William Gibson is incredibly descriptive but at times I was still lost and had to read multiple chapters over. The idea of a cyber cowboy is incredibly unique and it reminded me of Blade Runner and Cowboy Bebop. Despite being a difficult read it would be my number one suggestion to turn into a movie. I would love to see the vastness of the matrix the same way Gibson envisions it. Incredible characters, the writing was impeccable in it’s timing. A staple for cyber punk nerds.

[Antonis Lamnatos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely pictured and colored, I felt it properly caught the late 80s idea of how the future will look. Sure, most of it didn't end up quite like WG imagined, but the visually impressionistic approach of The Grim Cyber-Future is nicely presented. It's a shame the book doesn't cover the complete novel.

[Monk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo que empezar diciendo que el 80% del tiempo no tenía idea de lo que estaba pasando. Aún así la atmósfera que genera la novela es alucinante. Todo la estética que vino después relacionada al cyberpunk, a las distopías, es gracias a Neuromante, y solo por eso merece ser leída.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry but I didn't understand what was happening in the story at all.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Another version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...


I did not like this work.
In fact, its meaning escaped me and therefore there was no chance to enjoy an account without a message…as far as I am concerned.

This is where I should stop the note.
There was no understanding, hence no pleasure and that is all that can be said.

And yet, someone has said something like:

- It is not the painting, but the person looking at it…

And I am told there is another version:

- It is important what the picture sees in you and less what you find in it…

I did not find those quotes on the web so it means that I changed them drastically, if they are not a complete invention.
But the point is that these notes have little merit, if any at all, in a “professional” context and they are all about what a book has or hasn’t opened, initiated, ignited in this reader and say nothing about the literary value of the narrative.

After all, Neuromancer is a “smash hit „and a critical success.
The first winner of the Triple Crown in Science fiction, or something of the kind, it won three coveted awards in a row.
But its genre – Cyberpunk sounds like a real turn off to me.
And the plot, at least the start where I was still paying some attention, is not so inviting either, even if it takes place in the future.

A man steals from his employer…
And his name is not Edward Snowden, a guy so many see as a hero and I for one agree with the agencies:

- I see him as a traitor who might be responsible for the deaths of agents in the field, who valiantly fight the likes of Daesh, only to be exposed by a stupid, frustrated individual, in the name of freedom

- “Hell is paved with good intentions”…Shakespeare

[Naviru Shorno · Rating 2 out of 5]

«Neuromante», de William Gibson, es una novela publicada en 1984 que cuenta con 303 páginas. Junto a «¿Sueñan los androides con ovejas eléctricas?», de Philip K. Dick, está considerada una de las obras fundacionales del subgénero cyberpunk, y sentó las bases estéticas y conceptuales de la ciencia ficción moderna. En sus páginas se anticipan conceptos como la realidad virtual o el ciberespacio, términos que hoy nos resultan familiares pero que, en su momento, fueron revolucionarios.

Ahora bien… personalmente, la lectura no me ha resultado nada fácil. La premisa me atrapó: Case, un vaquero del ciberespacio caído en desgracia, es contratado para una última misión que podría redimirlo y devolverle su antigua vida. Pero a pesar del punto de partida prometedor, la historia no terminó de conectar conmigo.

He tardado casi dos meses en terminar el libro. La acción, aunque abundante, me resultó confusa; los diálogos, en muchos momentos, inconexos; y la atmósfera, caótica. No logré empatizar con los personajes ni con el mundo que Gibson construye, tal vez porque mis expectativas eran altísimas: me habían dicho que era uno de los mejores libros de ciencia ficción, y esperaba una experiencia cercana al éxtasis literario.

Dicho esto, recomiendo «Neuromante» a los verdaderos amantes del género, especialmente a quienes disfrutan de los clásicos y no se asustan ante estructuras narrativas exigentes. Eso sí: unas buenas gafas para leer ciencia ficción no vienen mal, porque esta obra, aunque visionaria, no es de lectura fácil… incluso para lectores habituales como yo.

[Pablo Enrique · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel is an uncompromising immersion into the "high-tech, low-life" ethos of the cyberpunk genre. The artwork is a direct reflection of this philosophy, characterized by a dark, angular, and geometric style that consistently reinforces the narrative's morally ambiguous and gritty atmosphere.

The text's central focus is on a morally gray protagonist, a common archetype within this narrative tradition. For readers whose interests lie more in the complexities of virtue or in characters who actively strive toward goodness, the cynical pragmatism at the story's core may prove less engaging. This is not a tale of heroism, but one of survival and murky allegiances.

Structurally, the narrative is challenging. The prose is deliberately fragmented and punchy, which, combined with a rapid influx of characters and dense technical jargon, can create a significant barrier to immersion. The plot progresses through a series of disjointed scenes, often with unclear temporal shifts, making the overarching story and character motivations difficult to follow. Key decisions, particularly the protagonist's initial acceptance of his mission, feel abrupt and lack the internal conflict that would ground the stakes. While this stylistic choice may aim for a sense of disorientation, it can also hinder narrative clarity and emotional investment.

[M. Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neuromante, es ese tipo de novelas de ciencia ficcion que deseariamos ver en el cine como una version fiel al libro y no una adaptacion inspirada como lo fueron Matrix, entre otras. Una novela Cyberpunk de culto, pionera en su genero para quienes son seguidores de este tipo, y una novela imperdible para todo escritor novato de ciencia ficcion, quien esta surfeando entre distintos estilos y tecnicas de narrativa en esta gran escuela que es el universo de la ciencia ficcion.

William Gibson nos introcude en su opera prima, inspirada en un cuento precursor "Johnny Mnemonic" (mencionado en la novela), que sin esperarlo, convirtio su obra en culto por su amplio uso de terminos que se usan hoy en dia y que son tecnologia popular. Visionario o no, su narrativa es compleja y dificil de leer si no se sabe de computacion, su historia es cruda y sin censura, hace que finales agridulces sean solo para cuentos de hadas.

De la mano del maestro William Gibson, hay que animarse a aventurarse a lo desconocido del ciberespacio, tal como se concebia en los 80's, enchufarse con los cinco sentidos, no basta con el teclado, mouse y pantalla. Ohh si, protegerse de las inteligencias artificiales y los cyberataques. Si vas a leer, protegete. Cualquier antivirus no sirve.

[Romano]

La adaptación a novela gráfica de la primera cuarta parte de la novela cyberpunk Neuromancer de William Gibson. Visualmente es realmente sorprendente lo cercana que es a lo narrado en el texto de Gibson, lamentablemente -como en casi toda adaptación- se trata de sintetizar en demasía y el ritmo reciente tales cambios. Otro cambio sustancial respecto a la novela de Gibson es que el lenguaje y jerga se han adaptado a algo más accesible a los lectores. La novela Neuromancer se caracterizaba por emplear un abstracto inglés futurista plagado de modismos y particulares propias de ese mundo ficcional, pero en esta novela gráfica se optó por un lenguaje menos abstracto, y por lo tanto, mucho menos poético.

Considero que esta novela gráfica es un objeto que podrá resultar curioso a quienes ya estén familiarizados con la Sprawl Trilogy de Gibson, pero sería una injusticia que fuese el primer acercamiento de un neófito al cyberpunk.

[Amina Lencioni · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8
Sesso, droga e cyber.

Sincera non mi ha preso molto, ho faticato tanto ha entrare nella storia, nel seguire il flusso dello scrittore che non è per niente scontato e banale, il quale crea un mondo e un linguaggio tutto suo, per niente spiegato. Il motivo per cui l’ho apprezzato poco forse è anche per questo abbandono completo del lettore, come se Gibson fosse egli stesso fatto di acidi mentre scriveva, sicuramente è così, battendo frasi e battute che costruivano scene futuristiche e distopiche, un po’ come i protagonisti che sono incasinati e abbastanza sfasciati un po’ come tutto il contesto che li circonda, fatiscente ma decisamente visionario.
Sicuramente i pareri contrastanti nelle recensioni (che lo ami o ti fa cagare) e il fatto che è stato uno dei suoi romanzi di esordio per il cyberpunk mi ha spinto a leggerlo e interessarmi, tuttavia credo anche di aver capito con questa lettura che forse non è proprio il tipo di scrittura che apprezzo e trovo avvincente.

[brayan arnijas · Rating 3 out of 5]

La primer mitad del libro es masterclass literaria, William Gibson define el cyberpunk tal y como lo conocemos hoy en día, el ciberespacio, hardware en los humanos, mega corporaciones que dominan el mundo, todo lo que caracteriza al genero aparece en este libro en conjunto. La atmósfera que crea no tiene comparación. Lo único malo es que está escrito tan raro que en un punto ya dejas de entender que está pasando en la trama, pensaba que era un problema mío pero al leer otras reseñas ví que es algo con lo que se encuentran todos. Las últimas 50 páginas fueron una tortura....las leí para terminarlo más q por otra cosa.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this adaptation of one of my favorite novels, despite it being incomplete and never to be completed. At the time of publishing comics had a burgeoning indie press going and there were new attempts to adapt edgier, relevant works. Unfortunately to low sales and an inability by a now defunct press to actually finish what they started.

Still, it is something I prize in my collection, though it didn't come close to capturing the depth of the novel, it visually evoked the setting in a new way, and for the time, was an attempt at something new.

[LEX ESFM Simon Bolivar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Neuromante" nos sumerge en un mundo donde la tecnología y la realidad virtual se entrelazan de manera fascinante. La historia trata de Case, un ex-hacker que fue privado de su capacidad para acceder al ciberespacio, y que se ve atrapado en una conspiración global que involucra a inteligencias artificiales, corporaciones poderosas y personajes marginales, es una exploración fascinante de la relación entre la humanidad y la tecnología, donde la realidad virtual y la inteligencia artificial dominan la vida cotidiana.
Litzy Conde

[Gregorio S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cyberpunk world in Neuromancer is vibrant and chaotic, a vision of the future where technology and humanity are inseparably intertwined. If you’re passionate about narratives that blend advanced technology with dystopia, CronoRevolution offers an equally thrilling journey.

El ciberpunk en Neuromante es vibrante y caótico, una visión del futuro donde la tecnología y la humanidad están inseparablemente entrelazadas. Si te apasionan las narrativas que mezclan tecnología avanzada con distopía, CronoRevolution ofrece un viaje igualmente emocionante.

[Cobertizo · Rating 4 out of 5]

En el comienzo del capítulo 8 perdura el código de acceso a los irrepetibles artículos de juventud de Nick Land. Como sigue:

"Archipiélago. Las islas, Toro, huso, racimo, ADN humano esparciéndose desde el empinado pozo de la gravedad como un derrame de petróleo (...) Freeside es muchas cosas, no todas evidentes para los turistas que suben y bajan por el pozo. Freeside es burdel y centro bancario, cúpula de placer y puerto libre, ciudad fronteriza y balneario termal. Freeside es Las Vegas y los jardines colgantes de Babilonia, una Ginebra en órbita"

[Alessandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and engaging adaptation of Gibson’s Neuromancer. As a graphic novel from the beginning of the 1990s, it holds up surprisingly well—both visually and in how it distills the atmosphere of the book. The cyberpunk grit, the sense of dislocation, and the noir undercurrents come through nicely. That said, this is very much a companion piece rather than a replacement: while the comic captures the spirit of the novel, the original prose work remains in a league of its own. If you’ve never read Neuromancer, start there. If you have, this is a fascinating visual reimagining worth your time.

[Fernando Suarezserna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately this graphic novel just covers the first part of the story. I believe it's a GREAT companion if you're already familiar with the novel, the visuals are striking. Nevertheless, my impression is that if you're not previously familiar with the story, it would be very hard to keep up with what's actually happening, as it rushes through the plot points while it world-builds very specific things that are crucial to understand what's going on with the rules of Gibson's universe.

[Patrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The visual style and the narrative fit Gibson's Neuromancer perfectly. Unfortunately, this is just the first part, and the remaining two were never published, so that would be three stars from me since the comic is only a taste of what could have been. However, I'm adding one extra star for Molly who goes completely against stereotypes with her androgynous look. She can even be seen as trans which gives her character a whole new dimension.

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Neuromante" - William Gibson (1984)
Considerada la obra fundacional del cyberpunk, Neuromante nos sumerge en un mundo dominado por megacorporaciones y hackers que navegan el ciberespacio. La historia sigue a Case, un ex-hacker que recibe una última oportunidad para recuperar su habilidad de conectarse a la red. Con una atmósfera oscura y una prosa vertiginosa, Gibson redefine la ciencia ficción con una visión futurista que sigue siendo influyente.

[Mia Lee Libros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros:

- Ilustraciones muy adaptadas al ambiente. Sobre todo la de los lugares.

Contras:

- Ilustraciones físicas no tan bien realizadas. En tres viñetas el mismo personaje parece otro.
- Muy resumida en comparación al libro.
- Las viñetas no están bien señaladas después de un cambio de acontecimiento. Hace perder un poco al lector.

[Evelien · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my first sci-fi reads, and I struggled with imagining the setting of the book. This remained a challenge till the end, as I then still felt I didn't understand 15 percent of what was happening.
Interestingly enough I did want to continue reading. I think the book covers some interesting concepts around AI. Would recommend it to people who are more into Sci-fi than I am.